Thanksgiving Thief: Families’ Meals Stolen

STREETSBORO — Police are investigating the thefts of holiday meals for the less fortunate.

13 family-sized meals, meant to feed more than 100 people, were taken.

Malinda Davis of the Streetsboro Christian Cupboard tries to help the less fortunate on Thanksgiving every year. So when 13 Thanksgiving dinners were stolen, she was shocked. “I was sorta stunned, just stood there for a few minutes then they started apologizing for everything. Somebody just came, represented us and took them all away,” says Davis.

For the past few years, the Valvoline Instant Oil Change on Route 14 in Streetsboro has collected Thanksgiving meals for the Christian Cupboard.

“Actually, at the time had one of our families here with 9 children waiting on their turkey dinner and I had to call my sister my associate here and tell her she would have to wait, say sorry we don’t have it right now. We’ll try and get her something later. The dinner was gone,” says Davis.

Streetsboro police say the thief came by the Instant Oil Change early Monday morning before Davis arrived and gave the Valvoline employees a made up story. “All we know for sure is that he told them my wife sent me over here to pick up the dinners for the Christian Cupboard. Valvoline went along with that thinking, hey obviously this is the person here to pick them up and in fact help him load the dinners into the car,” says Chief Roy Medley of the Streetsboro Police Department.

Since the incident, Malinda Davis says the Valvoline has replaced the stolen dinners with turkeys.

The news of the Thanksgiving dinner theft has spread. So, now others want to donate to the worthy cause.

“I can help out and had extra food and stuff like that and I’m more than glad to deliver it and help out,” says Jason Tober of North Ridgeville.

Streetsboro police say they found out who took the dinners and where they went but the case is still under investigation.